Truck and brake for cable-railways.



W. H. GOLBURN.

TRUCK AND BRAKE FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATION FILED 313.19, 1912.

Patented'Aug. 20, 1912.

INVENTOR. VV/W/am H Co/bu/h ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES;

COLUMBIA 'PLANOGRAPH 60-, WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM H. COLBURN, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

TRUCK AND.BRAKE FOR CABLE-RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 20,1912.

Application filed February 19, 1912. Serial No. 678,636.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. COL- BURN, acitizen of the United States, residing at No. 9 South Weber street,Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Trucks and Brakes forCable-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trucks and brakes for cablerailways in which a carrying truck is adapted to support a car fortransporting passengers or wares, pivotally suspended so as to maintain,by gravitation, a level floor, said truck having an automatic brakeappliance for instantaneously locking the truck to the carrying cable incases of emergency; and the objects of my improvements are, first, toprovide a safe means for passengers to be conveyed on a cable railway;second, to provide means to have the car maintain a level floor and aneven regular motion forward; third, to provide means for stopping thecar without stopping the traction cable; fourth, to provide an automaticgripping appliance on the truck of the car that is adapted to lockitself automatically to the carrying cable in case of an excessive speedbeing acquired by the truck. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, is a sideelevation of the truck resting upon the carrying cable 1, and showingthe connection with the centrifugal governor and the friction grip forthe traction cable 2. I Fig. 2, is a detailed section of wheels 4 and 30taken on the line A-B, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a detailed section of thefriction grip 40, on the line Gr-II, of Fig. 1.

Similar letters and similar numerals refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views.

The four wheeled cable railway truck and the governor and automaticbrake form the framework to the principal parts of my invention. Thefour wheeled carriage shown in Fig. .1, has the supporting beam 7, andis provided with the upright pivot 8, supporting the rear end of thebeam 7, and resting upon a pivotal bearing 74, in the rear truck frame10, between the front wheel 3, and the rear wheel 6. The front end ofthe supporting beam 7 is supported by the upright pivot 9, resting uponthe pivotal bearing 75, in the front truck frame 11, between the rearwheel 4, and the front wheel 5. Intermediate the upright pivots 8, and9,

is the hanger bracket 12, rigidly secured to the supporting beam 7, andpendant therefrom and above the carrying cable 1. The front hanger arm14, and the rear hanger arm 15, of a passenger car are pivotallyconnected at 13, with the hanger bracket 12, so that the supporting beam7, may have either end raised or lowered upon the carrying cable 1, andyet the floor of the car will maintain a level position by reason ofgravitation from the hanger pivot 13.

Suspended securely and rigidly upon the bracket 50, 50, is the pendantattaching frame 49, carrying the friction grip 40, adapted to engage thetraction cable 2. To the screw shaft 39, of the friction grip 40, isrigidly secured the lever 45, adapted to operate it and cause the innerjaw 47 ,and the outer jaw 48, to grip the traction cable 2, when the topend of the lever 45, is thrown forward to the right'in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. When the top of the lever 45, isthrown in the opposite direction the jaws are released from gripping thetraction cable 2, by the operation of the screw shaft 39, opening thejaws 47, and 48.

To guard against accident, such as defective machinery operating thetraction cable, ora breakage of, the traction cable, and to guardagainst a runaway of the car from any cause, I have provided two lockinggrips on each carriage adapted to lock the carriage at both ends to thecarrying cable 1 The locking grip 35, is located between the wheels ofthe front truck and is operated and constructed similarly to' thefriction grip 40, above described; the screw sprocket wheel 37, takingthe place of the double lever 45, and the screw shaft 38, tak ing theplace of the screw shaft 39. Between the wheels of the rear truck is thelocking grip 36, which is similar to the looking grip 35, and is adaptedto be locked to the carrying cable 1, when the truck is moving toorapidly in the direct-ion indicated by the arrow in Fig.1, while thelocking grip 35, is adapted to be locked when the truck is going toofast in the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrow in Fig.1.

In Fig. 2, is shown a clutch mechanism by which wheel '4, and wheel 30,may be rigidly locked together. In the axle 28, is

a deep annular groove .29, into which is inserted the front detentionrod 26, after passing through the hole 76, inthe hub of the; clutchsprocket wheel 30, which detention rod preventsthe clutch spring 33,from .eX- Should the truck for any reason panding. I gain a greaterspeed than-1sdes1red,the 'acwheels 55, and 56, operating the.centrifugal governor .24, which would cause the loose swivel joint 60,to rise, thus drawing up thecontracting arms 59, 59, and bringingvtoward each other 1the'pivotal connections 58, a 58, thus withdrawingvfrom their respecr Live-annular grooves 29, the frontand rear detentionrods'26, and .27,inFig.T1,.and as shown in 'Fig. :2, when .26, iswithdrawn from 29, it will allow the clutch spring 33, which iscompressed between the clutch sprocket wheel 30, and the clutch springcollar 34, rigidly secured to the axle 28, to

expand and force the clutch sprocket wheel 30, against the rear wheel 4,of the front truck causing tthe 'clutch teeth 31, 31, on'the inneredgeof the hub-of=the clutch sprocket wheel 30, to be forced into the clutchrecesses 32, -32, adaptedxto receive them in thez edge :of'the hub ofrear wheel 4. This will cause the rear wheel 4 to turn the clutch sprocket wheel 30., with it, thus operating the "dllVJIIg chain 63, which'will turn the screw sprocket wheel thus turning the screw. shaft 38,upon which [it is rigidly :se- I cured, which screw shaft 38, will lockthe:

locking grip 35, upon the-carrying cable 1, 1n thesameimanner that theturning of 39,

would lockthe jaws '47 and=148, on traction;

I :and release a compressed spring adapted to The =mechanism in thelocking grip 35,-

cablei2, as illustrated in Fig. ;3.

and "Y-the locking l grip 36, :being substantially thesame .as in thefriction sgrip 40, thes'hafts 3'8, and 66, bear the same relation .tothe grips-35, and 3.6, -as the shaft 39,.does to'grip.

40, in Fig. 1,:and thescrew sprocket wheels 37, and 67, bear the same'relation .to grips 35, and 36, -.'as does the double :lever 45, to:

The locking gripthe grip 140, :in Fig. 1. 35, of the front truck issupportedlupon the carryingcable ;1,=by=means of .the small car ryingwheels 61,-;and 62, while .the locking grip 36,, between the wheels of:the rear truck is supported onthe earryingcable 1,.

by the small carrying wheels 64, and 65,

and the friction :clutch 340, of the traction cable.2, is supported bythe .small front and, rear carrying wheels 77, and 78, respec-: tivelyon the traction cable .2. The axle= 69, is substantially the same as theaxle 28,

and bears thesame relation to the rear-detention :rod 27, and the clutchsprocket} wheel 70, that the axle 28, does tov the front detention .rod,26, and the clutch sprocket wheel 30. The driving chain 68, is the.same asithe driving chain 63, and bears the same relation to the clutchsprocket wheel 70, andthe sprocket wheel 67 that the driving chain '63,bears to the clutch sprocket wheel '30, and the sprocket wheel 37. Thetwo lower contracting arms 59, 59, are secured to the hanger bracket 12,at their lower ends by thefixed pivot 57. The upright part or lowerslide 81, of the cent-rif- :ugal governor 24, 'is secured to the hangerbracket 12, by the .swivel slide guide'79. 'Thestop of'the centrifugalgovernor 24, and its drivingmechanism 55, and 56, are attached to thesupporting frame 52, mounted above the truck in Fig. 1. At stations and:at'thetermini of'the cable railway line and I am aware that prior to myinvention,

itrucks and brake mechanism for railways have been used and thatautomatic release clutches have been used on transmission cables'incable railway conveyances; I there fore do not claim trucks and brakesand rellease clutches broadly.

1.,Ina truckrand brake appliance for a traction cable railway for thetransportation :ofpassengers and material, the combination of acarryingcable with a four wheeled carrying truck, having a release rod soconnected with a centrifugalgovernor that at high velocity it will bewithdrawn from an :annular groove in an axle of the carriage force agrip operating'sprocket wheel into :cluteh connection with a rotatingtruck wheel, and having a driving mechanism :adapted to'cause-a safetybrake grip to engage said carryingcable so provided as-to stop thecar,substantially as set forthand for the purposes specified.

.2. In a truckand brake appliance for a traction cable railway forthetransportation :of passengers and material, the combination of atandem four wheeled carrying truck provided with an automatic safetygrip mechanism to cause said brake grip to en- :gage said cable, adetention rod adapted to hold said mechanism out of engagement with thedriving wheel-ofthe truckbypassing through the hub ofthe operating wheelof same, and into an annular groove of the zaxlelof the drive wheel, acompressed spring on said axle adapted to force said operating wheelintoqclutch communication with said adrive Wheel when: said detentionrod is withdrawn from said annular grove, a centrifugal governoroperated in harmony with said drive wheel and adapted to withdraw saiddetention rod from said groove at high speed, substantially as set forthand for the purposes specified.

3. In a truck and brake appliance for traction cable railways providedfor carrying passengers, the combination with a carrying cable used as atrack for carrying trucks and a transmission cable to move said trucks,of a long beam supported at each end by an upright post pivotedvertically in said beam, each of said post-s resting upon a horizontalpivot transverse to a frame parallel to said beam and each of saidparallel frames being supported by a wheel near each of its ends adaptedto travel upon said cable, and a centrifugally operated safety gripbrake under each of said frames adapted to grip said cable when the saidtruck shall have attained an excessive speed, for the purposes ofstopping the truck, substantially as set forth and for the purposesspecified.

4. In a truck and brake appliance for traction cable railways providedfor carrying passengers, the .combination with a carrying cable used asa track for carrying trucks and a transmission cable provided to movesaid trucks, of a long beam supported at each end by an upright postpivoted vertically in said beam, each of said posts resting upon ahorizontal pivot transverse to a frame parallel to said beam and each ofsaid parallel frames being supported by a wheel near each of its endsand adapted to travel upon said carrying cable, an automaticallyoperated centrifugal safety brake grip under each of said frames adaptedto grip said cable when the said truck shall have attained an excessivespeed, the rear grip adapted to stop the truck from going forward andthe front grip to stop the truck from going backward, substantially asset forth and for the purposes specified.

5. In a traction cable railway appliance provided for carryingpassengers, the combination with a carrying cable used as a track forcarrying trucks and a transmission cable to move said trucks, of acarrying truck having four wheels in tandem and provided with acentrifugally governed automatic safety grip adapted to automaticallystop the truck when it exceeds a certain velocity, and of an operatingmechanism to force said grip to engage said cable, a detention rodadapted to hold said operating mechanism out of engagement with thedriving wheel of the truck by passing through the hub of the operatingwheel of same, and into an annular groove of the axle of the drivewheel, a compressed spring on the axle adapted to force said operatingwheel into clutch communication with said drive wheel when saiddetention rod is withdrawn from said annular groove, and a centrifugalgovernor operated in harmony with said drive wheel and adapted towithdraw said detention rod from said groove, substantially as set forthand for the purposes specified.

6. In a truck and brake for a traction cable railway provided forcarrying passengers, the combination with a carrying cable used as atrack for carrying trucks and a transmission cable to move said trucks,of a carrying truck having four carrying wheels in tandem and providedwith an automatic safety brake grip adapted to automatically stop thetruck and lock it to the carrying cable when it exceeds a certainvelocity, with an operating mechanism to force said grip to engage saidcable, a detention rod adapted to hold said operating mechanism out ofengagement with the driving wheel of the truck by passing through thehub of the operating wheel of same, and into an annular groove in theaxle of the drive wheel, a compressed spring on said axle adapted toforce said operating wheel into clutch communication with said drivewheel when said detention rod is withdrawn from said annular groove, anda centrifugal governor operated in harmony with said drive wheel andadapted to withdraw said detention rod from said groove when anexcessive speed is attained, substantially as set forth and for thepurposes specified.

WILLIAM H. OOLBURN.

Witnesses GERTRUDE HERREN, FRANKLIN BEATTIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

